BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Amherst pain doctor Eugene Gosy was sentenced Thursday to 70 months in prison after over-prescribing drugs to his patients for years.
Gosy in January plead guilty to conspiracy and fraud. Prosecutors said he gave more prescriptions for controlled substances annually than any other prescriber in all of New York State, including hospitals.
Following his prison sentence, he will also have three years of post-release supervision.
Gosy was indicted in April 2016 after a decade of distributing fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, and other drugs to patients. Prosecutors said he did this to profit off his patients and insurance companies and then attract people who were interested in getting their own prescriptions, despite warnings that some patients were abusing and misusing the controlled substances he provided.
In some cases, Gosy never conducted a physical exam before prescribing the drugs. Federal documents also said that Gosy signed death certificates in absence of an autopsy or medical examination for those he gave the controlled substances to "despite aberrant behaviors".
From March 17, 2011 to September 16, 2014, Gosy gave out at least 62 prescriptions for drugs that were not for a legitimate purpose and were outside the usual course of professional practice.
"The Hippocratic Oath requires physicians to do no harm," said US Attorney JP Kennedy directly following Gosy's sentencing. "The defendant's crimes in this case, prescribing drugs outside the reasonable practice of medicine and without a legitimate medical purpose and healthcare fraud, clearly did harm to certain patients and to our healthcare system."
There were several letters of support for Gosy, including 60 of his patients.
"In 2012 I was carrying a heavy bag strapped across my shoulders and injured my neck," Gregory Arquette, a longtime state trooper in Buffalo, wrote in an April letter to Judge Frank Geraci. "The pain in my neck was awful. I was unable to work...No one could provide any relief of the pain. Then I saw Dr. Gosy...I have dealt with criminals my entire adult life. Dr. Gosy is not one of them. Dr. Gosy is without a doubt the kindest most sincere man I have ever met."
"He saved my life," Tracy Diina said. "and for that I will be eternally grateful."
"Due to an auto accident...every day since then have experienced chronic pain and all that comes with it," Tom Bauerle, who is also a talk-show host at WBEN, said. "The compassionate care of Dr. Gosy, which involved regular physical examinations, trigger-point injections and prescriptions, significantly helped me to continue my life and career."
Family members and some medical professionals also wrote letters of support for Gosy.
Gosy must surrender to authorities by November 13.
This is a developing story